I shoot and reload a lot, including some of the most popular pistol and rifle calibers and a few of the less common ones, like 10mm, .357 SIG and 204 Ruger. I have free access to more brass than I'll ever use, and the time to reload a lot more than I can shoot. I even have a ready market and, like you, am frequently asked to supply reloads to friends.

I considered selling reloads and decided against it. The big problem, for me, is liability. The fact is, nobody, including me, is perfect and, no matter what the corporate structure, or how good the liability release, personal liability is likely should somebody get hurt using a product manufactured, or remanufactured by me. Liability insurance is expensive and may or may not be adequate to cover what might happen.

I don't know whether or not you need a license to sell ammo commercially, which is what you're talking about. I'm pretty sure, however, that you're liabile for state sales and income tax on the goods you sell.

Your decision, of course, need not match mine, but I decided to keep my reloads to myself except on the rare occasion that one of my friends needs ammo quickly and can't get it anyplace else, for a match, for example. Since I usually shoot only my own reloads, there's really no practical way for them to return borrowed ammo, so, when they need it, I let my friends reemburse me for what I gave them. It's not so much a sale as it is payment for the components used to make the ammo they used, and anybody, including a friend that asks on a regular basis, will be politely declined.

Funny how things keep coming back to a current interest. In the future, I think I may let my friends pay me back for reloads by guying me factory 10mm hunting loads.

Cracker wrote:I don't know whether or not you need a license to sell ammo commercially, which is what you're talking about. I'm pretty sure, however, that you're liabile for state sales and income tax on the goods you sell.

To sell factory ammo no firearms license would be needed, just the appropriate state (and local) business licenses. To reload ammo to sell you would need an FFL type 6 or type 7.

wakkoss wrote:Guess this guy never moved down here, he hasn't been here in three years!

On a serious note, I did that friend thing for years, never had an issue but always had that fear of what if, so now I have my class 6 manufacturers license. It takes approx. 4-6 months to do the background check, and you dont need a retail storefront, but you do need a zoned place to operate, I have a warehouse in a zoned manufacturing area where we do ours. And yes, millions in liability insurance to cover that oops if it occurs, pray it does not. And hope you get lucky and get a super cool ATF agent like I did when she came and inspected the place and did the 2 hr go over with me.

It might be interesting if a person started a â€œbusinessâ€ of charging people to use/rent reloading equipment.

You could have an attorney draw up a solid waiver of liability, and sell the customer the materials, and the rental of the reloading equipment to do the reloading work themselves. If a waiver of liability can be drawn up to skydive, Iâ€™m sure that something that stated the customer has read and understands the instructions, dangers, limitations, etc. would work.

Iâ€™d bet there are a lot of people out there that would like to try reloading, but donâ€™t want to plunk down a bunch of money for equipment, as well as dedicate the space required in their own homes, especially for something that theyâ€™re not sure about. If there was a nice place that was air-conditioned and set-up with all the best materials and equipmentâ€¦ Iâ€™d visit the place regularly.

On further consideration, I think the business would have to be set up as a club, because youâ€™d want to be able to exclude the general public, and vet the potential customers/members. Why? Because Iâ€™ve seen some types of people off the street that shouldnâ€™t be allowed anywhere near matches, much less things that go boom.

If the business was well organized and set up for sales of brass, powder, primers, and all the information necessary for reloading I think it could do all right. They could even sell the reloading machines, and non-reloaded ammo. Although I know that realistically, by the time a person rented the machines, and the time to do the reloading, and purchased the materials they could probably buy Wolf or similar ammo for less â€“ but then again, try telling a fisherman that they can buy fish at Publix for less money than spending a day out on the water. Itâ€™s about learning, doing, and self-sufficiency. For some people the same is true for reloading.

I donâ€™t have reloading equipment, so right now I use the paper shredder at work to achieve the Zen state that reloading can create. The only difference is that when Iâ€™m done I have a bunch of worthless paper, while a reloader has a bunch of ammo!

Smith

"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon depriving a whole nation of its arms as the blackest."
- Mohandas Gandhi

"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
- Dalai Lama (Seattle Times, 05-15-2001).

I had the same experience with my Dillon and 4895. Dillon rep I spoke with on the phone said the same thing about extruded powder. I use a powder trickle dispenser and scale combo and charge each case by hand.

GunnyHiway wrote:I never sell my reloads. I load em and can em. When I'm ready to go I get the oldest first for use. Anyone is welcome to shoot my reloads in any of my weapons but not their weapons. I will not shoot anyone elses reloads in my weapons.
I leave nothing to chance, reloading is serious business.

I'm the same exact way,i prefer to just shoot my reloads and let others shoot there's.

Ias904 wrote:So what about buying ammo from a place like http://georgia-arms.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ? They are reloads?

Georgia Arms is a Federally licensed MANUFACTURER (FFL type 6) < http://www.get-ffl-license.net/federal- ... -licenses/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; >. Your buddy down the street is NOT. Your buddy's reloads may be just as safe and perhaps better than those from a licensed manufacturer BUT... Your buddy is not licensed as a manufacturer so he is not allowed to sell them...

Q: Is a person who reloads ammunition required to be licensed as a manufacturer?
Yes, if the person engages in the business of selling or distributing reloads for the purpose of livelihood and profit. No, if the person reloads only for personal use.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a) (i) and 923(a), 27 CFR 478.41]